V36 G

THE oldest of three model lines that formed the basis of Infiniti’s relaunch in Australia was the G37 in Coupe and Convertible form, which arrived in late 2012, a few months after the FX SUV and M sedan.

The G37 had been around in international markets since 2008, though it had been refreshed in 2011.

With an all-new G-series sedan to arrive in 2013, it was a brave decision by Infiniti’s parent company Nissan to launch an older car onto the market, especially one that to compete with the Audi A5, Lexus IS250C and BMW 3 Series Coupe and Convertible.

But, given that the G37 was closely related to the Nissan 370Z, Infiniti believed it had the right product to compete with the big guns.

A 235kW version of Nissan’s widely used 3.7-litre V6, mated to a seven-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, was the only powertrain offered.

This pushed the coupe from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds but the 170kg-heavier convertible was somewhat slower at 6.4s.

Fuel economy was also impacted, with the 1866kg convertible recording 11.4L/100km on the combined test cycle against 10.5L/100km for the coupe.

The electric-operated roof on the convertible opened and closed in 25 seconds, using a button on the centre console. For safety, pop-up roll bars deployed automatically in a rollover.

Standard features included 18-inch alloy wheels, a rear-view camera, automatic bi-Xenon headlights, dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning, keyless entry, leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable seats (10-way for driver, including lumbar), a seven-inch touchscreen, 30Gb hard-drive navigation system, 10Gb music box, Bluetooth and audio streaming, and full iPod/USB connectivity.